Falling
by SecretiveC
Summary: Tartarus is a long fall, but it's a whole lot shorter than how much I'm falling for you.


Falling  
Rated K+  
Summary:  
Tartarus is a long fall, but it's a whole lot shorter than how much I'm falling for you.  
Pairings:  
Main - Percy & Annabeth  
Side - Jason & Piper, Frank & Hazel

Disclaimer: I own nothing; Rick Riordan owns all the characters and past story lines.

Falling

Third Person's POV:

He lay there, twitching, staring at the wood panels in the ships' walls. His eyes narrowed, flickering to the young woman grasping his hand. His eyes softened, and his ragged breathing calmed the slightest. He had suffered worse physically than she had. Their best defenses, crushed.

The woman's once tactically mind was filled with the terrors of Tartarus, he suffered physically, drained of his strength from the endless trek across Tartarus, then battling through a sea of monsters all waiting to find and kill the empty shells of who they used to be. Vivid pain etched across his face, another curse taking its toll. He would live, just not in the same light and airy tone. The humor in his eyes was replaced by loss of hope, near the border of insanity. The reassurance that his best friend and girlfriend Annabeth was there with him kept him going.

They relied on each other, supporting and comforting. No one questioned their sleeping arrangements. Having her at his side, and him at her side reassured then that they were alive and together. Their trust in each other had grown stronger, but he still faltered, the nightmares kept replacing real life. One wrong move, he thought, and she would crumple like paper.

Their playful banter was replaced by knowing looks, leaving the table eerily quiet. The others were worried, the only one relating was Nico, who kept it to himself most of the time. Leo had avoided cracking jokes but soon fell into the routine again, providing wry smiles from the other joker. The crew's mood lifted, even though the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Volts of electricity were no longer exchanged between the two leaders. Jason, while not Praetor anymore, took the head of the table with Frank at his side. The broken couple sat at the far end of the table, whispering amongst themselves, rarely contributing to the conversation. Word had been sent to Camp Half-Blood, urging them on, keeping the Romans at bay. Though none of them knew of the horrors three of the eight had been through.

The dreary mood lifted once again, Percy had laughed, a deep hoarse laugh, laughing at what the Fates had thrown at him. He continued for many minutes the others joining in, happy to see their friend and leader in a good mood. The day was filled with humor, Percy's voice gravelly from lack of speech. Though all good things come to an end. The next day, the mood was back, silencing even the most ADHD demigods. Festus creaked and whirred communicating their position. The broken pair sat in the stable, enjoying each other's company and the view. The silence was broken as Percy who yelled.  
"Stop!" The ship froze, coming to a halt in the middle of New York's skyline. He and Annabeth exchanged words before asking Jason to assist in helping them off the ship. He blinked and nodded, not once questioning the two's request. Leo was told to take the Parthenon back to camp, resting assured that Percy and Annabeth would return by sunset the next day. Nico grimly smiled at Percy, understanding the situation. Percy nodded back before squeezing his eyes shut and walking off the boats railing, suspended in midair. He grasped Annabeth tightly and saluted the six, his eyes tightly closed.

Sally had ushered the two inside the apartment in a heartbeat. After a bone crushing hug, she ordered them off into clean clothes, commenting the cookies would be done by then. Paul had embraced Percy, giving Percy a father figure that was always there for him. By the time they had cleaned up, true to her word, Sally had cooked a batch of blue colored cookies with another in the oven. After recounting the story as best as the two could handle, they were sent off to bed. Sally sighed and Paul hugged her, missing the old Percy as much as she did.

Percy lay propped up against the wall, looking out the window, playing with Annabeth's blonde curls, unable to sleep. His girlfriend also lay awake; worried about the upcoming war. Percy sighed and muttered in her ear,  
"Tartarus is a long fall, but it's a whole lot shorter than how much I'm falling for you." Annabeth allowed a small smile to grace her lips before kissing her boyfriend, erasing any previous doubts.


End file.
